Agenda announced for FTC Big Data workshop

September 4, 2014

WASHINGTON (9/5/14)--With the collection of consumer data "dramatically expanding" according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency will host a workshop to examine the use of data and its impact on consumers Sept. 15.

The FTC announced the workshop in August (News Now Aug. 18) and released the complete agenda Thursday.

"Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion" will explore the way organizations use information to categorize consumers and discuss possible benefits and drawbacks of these practices. Special attention will be paid to the ways data is used to assess low-income and underserved populations.

FTC Chair Edith Ramirez and Commissioner Julie Brill will speak at the event, and the daylong program will feature presentations and panel discussions with academic researchers, consumer groups, industry representatives and others with expertise on big data issues.

The agenda includes the following panels:

"Assessing the Current Environment," which will examine current uses of big data in a variety of contexts and how these uses impact consumers;

"What's on the Horizon with Big Data?" This panel will explore potential uses of big data as well as the potential benefits and harms for particular populations;

"Surveying the Legal Landscape," which will review anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws and discuss how they may apply to the use of big data; and

"Considerations on the Path Forward," which will explore best practices for the use of big data to protect consumers.

Registration for the free workshop will begin at 8 a.m. (ET) Sept. 15. It will take place in the auditorium of the Constitution Center, 400 7th St. SW, Washington, D.C., and will be streamed live online.

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